RSSB logo
Menu
Register
  • RSSB logo
  • Who We Are
    • About Us
      Our Business Plan
      Who joins RSSB and Why
      Member Enquiries
      Contact Us
      RSSB Newsletter Preferences
    • Meet Our Board & Leadership Teams
      • Meet the Board
      • Meet our Chief Operating Group
      • Meet our Executive Committee
    • Career Opportunities
      • Careers portal
      • Benefits
      • Diversity
      • Meet our People
      • Our Values
    • Financial Statements
    • Railway Documentation and Drawing Services Limited
  • What We Do
    • The Work We Do
      RSSB and the rail industry
      • Complying with Legislation
      • Supporting Sector Reform
      • Certification of Entities in Charge of Maintenance in Great Britain
      • Who Leads on Rail Safety?
      • Rail Industry Groups Working Together
      • How we Prioritise our Work
      • Helping you Deliver a Better, Safer Railway
    • Groups and Committees
      • Standards
      • Technical Interfaces and Cross-system Solutions
      • Safety
      • Sustainability
      • Scheme Management
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Other Industry Groups
    • Insights and News
      • News
      • Blogs
      • Podcasts
    • Covid-19 support
      • Stepping Up SPAD Focus
      • Adapting to New Ways of Working
      • Helping Passengers Stay Safe
      • Infection Risks
      • Making the Transition to Remote Training
      • Managing Increases in Passenger Numbers
      • Managing Safety Under Pressure
      • Workforce Wellbeing
    • Key Industry Topics
      • Adhesion
      • Data Insights
      • Fatigue and Alertness
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Horizon Scanning
      • Performance
      • Platform Train Interface
      • Safety Management System
      • SPAD Good Practice Guide
  • Services and Resources
    • Services and Resources Catalogue
      Get Up To Speed with RSSB’s Services and Resources
    • Training
      • Accident Investigation Awareness for Managers
      • Accident Investigation Training
      • Developing a Fair Culture
      • Human Factors Awareness
      • Human Reliability Assessment
      • Introduction to Human Factors and Non-Technical Skills
      • Mental Health Awareness
      • Mental Health E-Learning Courses
      • Mental Wellbeing for Line Managers
      • Non-Technical Skills Awareness and Integration
      • Operational Decision-Making using the G-FORCE Model
      • Risk-Based Training Needs Analysis
      • RSSB Rail Carbon Tool Training
      • RSSB Train Driver Selection Methods
      • Wellbeing Champions Training
    • Services
      • RSSB Consultancy
      • Events and Webinars
      • Railway Industry Supplier Approval Scheme
      • Railway Documentation and Drawing Services Limited
    • Case Study Library
      • Human Factors Case Studies
      • Musculoskeletal Disorders Case Studies
      • Non-technical Skills Case Studies
      • Sustainability Case Studies
    • Standards Catalogue
      Research Catalogue
  • Safety and Health
    • Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway
      • Key Messages from LHSBR Risk Groups
      • LHSBR Quarterly Progress Report
      • Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway - FAQs
      • Fatigue Risk Management
      • Freight Derailment
      • Improving our Capability
      • Infrastructure Asset Integrity
      • Level Crossings
      • Occupational Road Risk Management
      • Public Behaviour
      • Rolling Stock Asset Integrity
      • Station Operations
      • Train Operations
      • Workforce Health and Wellbeing
      • Workforce Safety
      • Work-Related Violence and Trauma
    • Guidance and Good Practice
      • Bowtie Hub
      • Safety Related Customer Contacts
      • Competence Development
      • Management of Change
      • Measuring Safety Performance
      • Risk Management Forum
      • Risk Management Maturity Model
      • Route Knowledge
      • Taking Safe Decisions
      • Safety Management System
      • Supplier Assurance
      • SPAD Good Practice Guide
    • Risk and Safety Intelligence
      • Annual Health and Safety Report
      • Latest Updates in Risk and Safety Intelligence
      • Safety Risk Model
      • Safety Management Intelligence System (SMIS)
      • Safety Reporting and Intelligence Systems
      • Safety Management Resources
      • Rail Risk Toolkit
    • Learning from Experience
      • Accident Investigation and Learning
      • Level Crossing Digest
      • Opsweb
      • Rail Accident and Incident News
      • Rail Investigation Summaries
      • Rail Safety Review
      • RED Safety Videos
      • Right Track
      • Signals Passed at Danger Reports and Data
    • Improving Safety, Health and Wellbeing
      • Human Factors
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Fatigue and Alertness
      • Freight Derailment
      • Safety Management Systems
      • Signals Passed at Danger Reports and Data
      • Platform Train Interface
      • Trespass
      • Suicide Prevention
      • Tackling Freight Derailment
  • Standards
    • Using Standards
      • How to Change Standards
      • How to Apply for a Standards Deviation
      • How Industry Agrees Standards
      • Getting Help with Standards
      • Latest Updates to Standards
      • Standards Consultations
      • Sign Up to Standards Consultations
      • Depot Sidings Safety Surveys
    • Types of Standards and How They Work
      • National Technical Rules
      • National Safety Rules
      • National Technical Specification Notices NTSNs
      • National Operations Publications
      • Rail Industry Standards
      • Technical Specifications for Interoperability
      • Company and Project Standards
      • European and International Standards
      • Complying with Legislation
    • Where Do We Use Standards?
      • Control, Command and Signalling
      • Data, Systems and Telematics
      • Energy
      • Infrastructure
      • Plant
      • Rolling Stock
      • Traffic Operation and Management
      Standards Self-Assessments
      • Railway Standards Self-Assessment
      • Rail Vehicle Structures Standard Self-Assessment
      • Route Compatibility Standard Self-Assessment
      • Vehicle Fire Standards Self-Assessment
    • Defining the Future of Standards
      • Rail Standards Strategy
      • Standards Annual Report
      • Applying RSSB Standards After EU Exit
      • EU Exit FAQs
      • Railway Legislation News
      • Standards Code
      • Standards Manual
    • Standards Catalogue
      Rule Book App
      • Support for organisations who use the Rule Book app
      • Rule Book App FAQs
  • Sustainability
    • Decarbonisation
      • Creating a Digital Environment to Support Collaborative Decarbonisation
      • Decarbonisation our final report to the Rail Minister
      • Decarbonisation our initial report to the Rail Minister
      • Non-diesel fuel use in the UK rail sector
      • The DECARB Programme
      • Transport Decarbonisation Plan
      • Using Renewable Energy to Deliver Cost Efficient Electrification
      • Designing Rail Depots for Hydrogen Powered Trains
    • Air Quality
      • Air Quality Emissions And Dispersion Modelling
      • Air Quality Mitigation Measures
      • Air Quality Monitoring for the Rail Industry
      • Air Quality Strategic Framework
    • Social Sustainability
      • The Rail Social Value Tool
      • Building Social Value Competence in Rail
      • Managing Modern Slavery Risks - A Good Practice Guide
      • Communicating the Social Value of Rail
    • Sustainable Rail Strategy
      • Sustainability Groups
      • Sustainable Rail Strategy Prototype Consultation
      • Sustainability Tools and Resources
    • Sustainable Development Self-Assessment Tool
      Rail Carbon Tool
      Rail Sustainable Development Principles
  • Research and Innovation
    • About Research and Innovation
      • Research Scope and Governance
      • Propose a Research Idea
      • Funding for Research Ideas
      • Funding and Grant Scheme FAQs
      • Academic Partnerships
    • Rail Technical Strategy
    • Key Research Areas
      • Adhesion
      • Horizon Scanning
      • Performance
      • The Future of Train Maintenance
    • Knowledge Services
    • Research Catalogue
      Research and Innovation Quarterly Update
  • Join RSSB
    • Who joins RSSB and Why
      The Work We Do
      RSSB and the Rail Industry
      Testimonials
      If you’re interested in rail or work with rail, RSSB can help you succeed
    • Membership Benefits
    • Become a Member
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Membership Offerings
      • Infrastructure
      • Passenger and Public Safety
      • Rolling Stock
      • Safety Intelligence
      • Sustainable Development
      • Taking Safe Decisions and CSMs
      • Workforce Health and Wellbeing
      • Workforce Safety
      • And More Products and Services
Register
  • Home
  • Sustainability
  • Decarbonisation

Decarbonisation

Introduction

Decarbonising as part of sustainable development involves reducing, and ultimately eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. This will ensure the railways continue to be one of the lowest carbon transport options for passengers and freight.

The Department for Transport, ‘Transport Decarbonisation Plan’ published in July 2021 sets out specific commitments to ensure the railways continue to be one of the lowest carbon transport options.

This is rail’s commitment to help the UK achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050: 

‘We will deliver a net zero rail network by 2050, with sustained carbon reductions in rail along the way. Our ambition is to remove all diesel-only trains (passenger and freight) from the network by 2040’.
Transport Decarbonisation Plan July 2021

This is the rail industry’s contribution to the UK’s statutory target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Transport Decarbonisation Plan
Learn about how the industry is committed to pursuing a net zero carbon railway and the steps being to achieve this.
The DECARB Programme
Learn about RSSB’s DECARB programme which covers three key areas. Traction, Infrastructure and Governance.
Non-diesel fuel use in the UK rail sector
With several organisations in the industry looking at ways to reduce carbon emissions, we have prepared a short position statement on the potential for non-diesel alternative fuel use in rail.
Rail Carbon Tool
The Rail Carbon Tool is a web-based carbon reduction tool for organisations and companies to develop an understanding of their carbon footprint so they can go on and reduce it throughout their supply chains.
Decarbonisation our final report to the Rail Minister
Britain is leading the world on setting clear targets to reduce carbon. This report includes an economic appraisal and a route map for delivery a low carbon railway.
 
Haven’t found what you’re looking for?
Get in touch with our expert for more information
George Davies
George Davies
Tel: 0203 142 5345
https://customer-portal.rssb.co.uk
Contact Us
About our Members and Affiliates
Career Opportunities
Contact Details
Member Enquiries
Stay Informed
RSSB Newsletter Preferences
Coronavirus Pandemic - How we can Help you
News
Blogs
The RSSB Podcast
Standards Catalogue
Research Catalogue
Key Industry Topics
Adhesion
Data Insights
Fatigue & Alertness
Health & Wellbeing
Horizon Scanning
Performance
Platform-Train Interface
Safety Management System
SPAD Good Practice Guide
Policies & Statements
RSSB’s Gender & Ethnicity Pay Gap
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for 2022-23
Time to Change Pledge
Privacy Notice
Terms of Service
Cookie Policy
Accessibility Statement
Other RSSB sites
Standards Consultations
CIRAS
RISAS
RISQS
SMIS
SPARK
Extranet
Find us on

© 2022 Rail Safety and Standards Board Ltd All Rights Reserved Rail Safety and Standards Board Ltd is Registered in England under company number 04655675